


Dancing Like No One is Watching

by DreamFandomTrash



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy Hargrove Is Bad at Feelings, Billy Hargrove Tries to Be a Better Person, First time being out in public together, M/M, Prom, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Friendship, Slow Dancing, Soft Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington Is a Mess, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Winter dance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:53:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27218947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamFandomTrash/pseuds/DreamFandomTrash
Summary: Steve and Billy have been hanging out a lot, so Steve takes it upon himself to ask if he'd like to accompany him to the Winter Dance. Billy finds his awkward proposal endearing and while he doesn't know what exactly to label himself and his feelings towards Steve, he accepts the invitation. Unknown to him, this will quickly lead to him finding out exactly what he is and how he feels. Though, he thinks emotions are better left to girls.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Kudos: 26





	1. Asking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is terrified. Sure it's easy when he's practicing with Robin, but that's because he knows her. He may have gotten closer with Billy, but that doesn't mean he knows how the blonde will react when he asks. He focuses on the rare times when Billy was so very human with him, trying to calm down the alarm bells blaring in his head. He was King Steve, after all, and King Steve never got nervous.

_This was a lot harder than Steve expected._

  


He hadn't expected it to be amazingly easy by any stretch of the imagination, but this was still more difficult than he thought it would be by a long shot. Sure, he could ask Robin when they practiced, he already knew she'd say yes because she was just that good a friend. But Billy, Billy was a total wild card. Steve didn't even know if he was gay or not. All the brunette knew was that Billy liked kissing him, but only on certain occasions when he felt like it. When he didn't, he treated Steve like he did any other time. Snark and sarcasm bordering on bullying, but still kinder than before. He'd share cigarettes with Steve, or come over and stay the night when his dad was being a complete ass. These were the rare nights where Billy dropped the act, when he let Steve see his vulnerable side. Even when they made out Billy still put on the act, or at least a version of it. But when Billy had just had to deal with shit from Neil and needed comfort, the mask fell away. Steve could see that deep down, he was human after all, and he liked these moments. He didn't like the occasional bruises or marks he would have to spot on Billy's body or seeing him on the rare occasion he cried, however, he just liked that he was allowed to see a part of the blonde no one else got to see. 

Those rare moments were all Steve focused on as he approached the window to Billy's room. He felt ridiculous, standing there in his uniform, but Robin had insisted he come here straight after work so that he didn't give himself an opportunity to chicken out. He hated it when she was right. The brunette fixed his hair in the window and went over what him and Robin had rehearsed. The only difference was that there was a lot more danger of both being rejected and getting the shit kicked out of him. There was Billy, laying on his bed listening to music at a volume far to high for anyone's taste but his own. He looked so perfect, as Steve thought he always was, and gave the brunette butterflies deep down in his belly. Steve raised his shaking hand up to the glass pane of the window and lightly tapped his fingers on it. While Neil had never suspected anything more than friendship between the two, Billy still insisted that a majority of their meetings be in as much secrecy as possible anyhow. When there was no immediate answer, Steve knocked on the window a bit louder.

It worked. Billy heard it faintly and furrowed his brow and his clear blue eyes darted over to the window, meeting Steve's muddy brown ones and clearing of any alarm. He got up and sauntered over to the window, glancing behind him to check that his door was locked, and slid it up to open it. "Ahoy sailor." He leaned down onto the sill, flashing Steve a crooked smile with that constantly present cigarette between his teeth. 

All thought decided to exit Steve's head by then, all he could do was stand there like an idiot and reply," Ahoy" with breaks in his voice he hadn't experienced since he went through puberty. He cleared his voice and tried to come up with something, anything else. "Hey. I meant hey!" He tried to hide how flustered he was and failed completely. Billy didn't mind, he found Steve's awkward moments rather endearing. "What's with the getup, Steve? This on a dare or somethin'?" "Uh Robin, you don't know her but she works with me, she said I should come straight here after work because if I didn't then I wouldn't say what I need to say. So that's why I'm still in my uniform instead of in my regular clothes." The brunette didn't even really process that he had said that he wanted to say something until the blonde responded with "Am I in trouble, Harrington?". 

Steve stopped in his tracks, blinking." Oh. Uh, no. You're not in trouble, Hargrove. It's just..." He paused and very gently took the cigarette out of Billy's slightly open mouth, taking a drag before the blond could object. Billy didn't of course, just watched with a brow arched in mild surprise. Steve meant to exhale just as the other usually did, but instead he coughed and sputtered making the other laugh softly and take it back.  
" You know, you're supposed to blow smoke. Not cough it up, Harrington. Now come on in here and spill whatever it is you're trying to tell me. Hurry up, before I change my mind." Billy turned and went back to his bed, sitting down and lowering the volume of the music just enough for the two to be able to have a conversation without being overheard. He watched Steve's limber body work its way up through the window and situate himself next to Billy at a distance he viewed as safe enough. He had to admit, he had never seen Steve this nervous about anything before. Made him wonder what exactly it took to make the King himself shiver like that.

"So, what's knocking around in that head of yours Harrington?" Billy settled himself closer to Steve, but only by an inch or two. He was still close enough to smell Steve. It seemed to be a different smell everyday, it was hairspray and flowers the last time he saw Steve and this time it was waffle cones and cleaning supplies. Though he would never say it to Steve's face, emotions and feelings were best left for girls, he liked how he smelled. He liked that it was something new everyday, but no matter the smell it remained just as comforting.  
"Well, what I wanted to talk about was...well uh you know how there's that winter dance thing tomorrow?" Steve looked from his hands to Billy's face, watching Billy nod before continuing. "Well I know we're not like going steady or anything but I was wondering, since we both don't really have anyone to go with I mean, if you'd maybe like to go with me...Maybe...?" He braced himself for a punch, yelling at least. But what he found was even worse. Dead silence. It seemed like the music had gone quiet, like the world had stopped.  
"Hey, look at me Steve." His words cut through the silence like a knife. Steve couldn't obey the command, despite how much his mind tried to make him. "I said look at me, Harrington. We both know I don't like repeating myself." Billy reached out and moved Steve's head so that he couldn't look anywhere but at him. Into a position where those muddy brown eyes were forced to stare into his cloudy blue ones. Steve tried to backtrack, tried to eliminate any possibility of rejection by explaining any possible implications away, but he was stopped with a kiss. Firm as usual, but not entirely like usual either. This one was almost...sweet. Comforting, even. It was definitely surprising, but not unwelcome. Steve found it enjoyable, relaxing into the hand on his cheek and feeling his worry melt away.  
The blonde was the one who had to finally break the kiss, taking a breath and finishing off his previously discarded cigarette. "Sure, Harrington." He looked at Steve, who was giving him a puzzled look. "I'll go to the winter whatever with you, Steve." He smiled a bit. "I may not know what this..." He gestured to himself then to Steve, "...is yet, but I do know that out of all the losers and whales in this shit-stain town, you are the most tolerable."  
Steve smiled too, very gently putting his hand on top of Billy's. It wasn't exactly a compliment, but compared to other things the blonde had called him it was certainly the most flattering.  
Billy took out another cigarette and glanced at his door again. "Let's ditch the old man, Harrington. I need to stretch my legs." He got up and climbed out the window, Steve following closely behind.


	2. Going in Style

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the night of the Snow Ball. The air is buzzing with excitement and it's contagious. Steve and Billy perform their own rituals to prepare for a night only to be described as unforgettable. Unfortunately, there's a compilation neither of them had considered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I couldn't exactly find a time for when the dance took place, only the date. So, since all the school dances I've attended started around 6 that's what I went with. Hope that's okay with everyone! Also I came up with the complication on the spot because I thought it would be cute, so I went with it. I might do a version where it's just them with no complication, but I don't know.

The butterflies in Steve's stomach had progressed and metamorphized into ravenous moths. At the moment, they were eating at him like he was an old sweater left in a closet for god knows how long. The night had come much too quickly, it was almost unbelievable to Steve. Yet, here he was pulling on his constantly cuffed jeans one leg at a time just like usual. Pulling a grey sweater over his head as if this were every other day. Except it wasn't, and even now he knew nothing would ever be the same again. He had already started doing his hair, all it needed were some finishing touches and he should be ready to leave. It was 5:30 when he left the house, driving not in the direction of the dance but to Mrs. Wheeler's instead. Unfortunately, he had been tasked by his parents with babysitting the party for that night without him knowing. Mrs. Wheeler had already made plans so he couldn't escape it, and, considering how badly Billy and the Party had reacted with each other the first time they met, he was terrified to tell him. So he hadn't. The fact that the Party was attending under Steve's watch was totally unknown to the blonde. Well, he did know that they were coming. He knew because Max was going, and he eavesdropped on her a lot, but even she didn't know that Steve was watching them. So, Steve went by Mrs. Wheelers and picked all of them up, and finished the drive to the Snowflake Dance. 

He let the kids loose, making them promise to be on their best behavior in a very mom-like fashion, and sat down on the bleachers in view of the door to wait. He tapped his foot on the waxed wood floor, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was 6:30 already, that was almost past being fashionably late and it had Steve more worried than he would like to admit.  
_'Maybe this was all a mistake...'_ He couldn't keep the thought away. _'What if he's not coming at all? What if he set me up?'_

Steve shook his head. He should know better than that. Sure, Billy didn't exactly seem perfectly happy to be out in public with another man, especially when that man was his date and would be dancing with him where everyone could see. But he wouldn't stand Steve up. So, there Steve sat. Watching the kids each find partners until only Dustin and Lucas. Without Billy, Max hadn't came either. 

Billy had started to get ready, but he was stopped by Neil. He had forgotten to take the trash out, and like usual Neil was pissed. Billy fought back at first, but was reduced to submission and silence soon enough. He took the trash out, enduring a few more utterances of Neil's favorite F-word that definitely wasn't fuck, then went back to getting ready. Once he was finished, he went to check on Max. _'Little bitch isn't even ready yet'_ He huffed, sticking a cigarette between his teeth and lighting it. "Maxine, you have two minutes or I'm making your ass skate there." Billy went back to his room, grabbed his jacket and his keys, and gave himself one last check in the mirror. He decided on a loose button up red shirt with the top couple buttons undone to show off his chest, snug jeans, and his nice leather jacket. He looked hot. Not like he'd say he looked anything else, but he knew with this look he was hot times ten. He flashed himself a smile, taking a drag before heading out to his car, yelling "One minute Maxine!" Susan stopped him, insisting on pictures, which Billy protested to at first but was forced to agree to when Neil said so. So he took picture after picture with Max until his father and Susan were satisfied, and off they headed.  
It went well for three seconds until Max forced him to drive and pick up her little boyfriend Lucas. He wasn't at Dustin's, or Will's, or anywhere she had him drive. He looked at the time, 6:30, and cursed. "We gotta go, Maxine. You've made me late enough, little shit." Billy sped to the Snow Ball, making a side note that it was a stupid ass name for a stupid ass dance that he wouldn't be attending at all if it weren't for a cute brunette who he was sure was starting to wonder if he had been ditched. They got there at 6:45, and Billy strutted in with his sister, telling her that if she wasn't ready to go as soon as this ended she would be walking home. His cloudy blue eyes scanned the room, searching for any sign of Steve. 

He found those muddy brown eyes and all he could think about was how nice Steve looked in that stupid sweater.


	3. Dancing with Someone You Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, they're both in the same room and are ready to get this show on the road. One problem though. Steve can't avoid telling Billy that he's babysitting any longer. Oh yeah, and he kinda has to confess his feelings while he's at it. If he could just stop stepping on Billy's feet enough to focus.

There he was. And he took Steve's breath away. Steve stood up so fast his shoes squeaked, drawing the attention of those closer to him including Dustin and Lucas. They both just stared at each other, time seeming to freeze around them as they just took each other in. Lucas saw Max and ran over to see her, taking her away from Billy quickly without him even noticing. Very slowly Steve and Billy started walking towards each other, meeting in the middle with an audience of their peers expecting a fight. Steve hardly noticed them, very gently reaching down and taking his partner's hand. The blonde flinched a bit, but didn't pull away. He noticed the audience, but did his best to ignore them. It wasn't that hard, considering how damn cute Steve looked in that snug-ass sweater, and he raised his other hand to touch the brunette's cheek.  
"You look good, Harrington." A crooked smile graced his face, making Steve's breath catch.  
"You don't look so bad yourself, Hargrove." Steve laughed softly, squeezing Billy's hand and smiling.  
Minutes seemed like seconds, it was like they were in their own bubble. A nice, slow song faded in and everyone partnered up. Steve looked up at Billy, eyes catching the light in a way that the light looked like stars. "Do you...maybe possibly want to dance...with me, I mean? You don't have to if you don't want everyone to be watching us..."

Billy swept Steve up and started sway-dancing with him, putting Steve's hands on his shoulders and his own hands on Steve's hips. "Fuck them, Harrington. Pretend they aren't there." He smiled down at Steve, leaning down so their foreheads were touching. "Can you do that for me?"  
Steve chewed on his lip, considering it, and nodded. "Yeah." He tried to sway with the rhythm, but it appeared him and Billy were dancing to different rhythms since Steve kept stepping on Billy's feet.  
"You're scuffing up my boots, Steve." The blonde chuckled, gently guiding Steve closer and assuring he couldn't stare down at his feet." Just follow my lead, you're acting like you've never danced before." He rested his chin against Steve's forehead, able to smell the product in his hair.

"Maybe I haven't." Steve lay his head on the other's chest, listening to his surprisingly fast heartbeat. Was Billy just as nervous as Steve? The brunette hadn't thought about it before, but now he glanced up at Billy's face and considered it. His jaw was tense, he was holding Steve tighter than either of them had realized, and he kept glaring around the room. It turned out that, even though Steve thought the people who had been watching had been distracted by the slow dancing, he and Billy were still being stared at. Billy was glaring at anyone who dared to stare and meet his eyes.  
"You and Nancy never danced before...?" Billy broke his glaring and looked down to meet Steve's eyes, his sharp glare softening almost immediately.

"Not much, no. We did at the occasional party, but never like this..." Steve shrugged a bit." I'll assume the California badass act got you a lot of dances? Better partners than I am, at least."  
Billy pulled Steve slightly closer, bringing up a hand to card through Steve's carefully styled brunette hair. He was met with a face from Steve, but sank his fingers in and mussed up his hair anyways." Any bitch I danced with meant nothing compared to you, Steve. No matter how shitty a dancer you are. Now I'm serious, Harrington, stop stepping on my feet. Just focus on me, okay? And god damnit just relax."

Steve was a bit irked that Billy had just messed up his hair, which had taken him a while to get ready, but it all melted away when the taller started ordering him around. He did his best to obey his commands, staring up into those alluring blue eyes and letting himself get lost. He reached up and traced along the other's jaw with his fingertips. So there they were, lost in their own perfect little paradise paying no attention to the assholes around them. It was perfect. Until Dustin decided it was the perfect time to ask Steve if the Party could be dropped off at Mike's house after the dance instead of at each of their own houses. Steve told Dustin that was fine, but that he had picked the worst possible moment to ask. Dustin seemed to get the hint and went back to dancing. Billy gave Steve a look, starting to say something. Steve cut him off, " Okay, so Mrs. Wheeler asked my mom if I could babysit and she said I could and by the time she told me, which was an hour before this started by the way, it was too late to cancel it. So I brought them all here and now here we are." He finally took a breath, bracing himself for a reaction. Instead, he was met with laughter. Rolling, loud laughter. Billy couldn't help it, it was such a Steve thing to do. "Hey, asshole! Stop laughing at me!" He shoved Billy, huffing and crossing his arms. "Oh come on Steve! You can't tell me that you doing this isn't such a you thing to do!" Billy pulled Steve close again, laughter reduced to a light chuckle." Come on baby, you know you can't stay mad at me." He pressed up close to Steve, continuing to hug him close. Steve tried to remain aloof, but it didn't take him long to melt again. "Fine, but laugh at me again and I won't let you drive me home." He pulled Billy off in the direction of the bleachers. "C'mon, asshole, I'm sure your feet are tired. Let's take a break." 

Billy let himself be dragged, pretending not to hear Steve's voice failing to hold the same authority his did. It made the blonde smile, and before he knew it he was sat down on the wooden bleachers next to a guy he could very clearly see spending the rest of his life with. A little forward of him? Sure. Especially considering that he hadn't even worked up the courage and stability to even tell Harrington he loved him, but he was working on it. He hadn't blown a gasket when he had found out that Steve had not only escorted those little shits here, and not even when he figured out that Steve had been letting Maxine drive his car and would be letting her drive the other shits home. All forgiven simply because Steve meant just that much to him. But he definitely wasn't going soft. Totally still a badass who doesn't give a rat's ass about anything. Not some soft little fairy like Neil would say. 

Steve noticed him zoning out and very gently took both of Billy's hands. He scooted closer on the bleachers and snuggled up to his side, letting go of the other's hands in favor of hugging him around the middle. He listened to Billy's heartbeat again, smiling a bit and closing his eyes. This was all he needed. No "I love you"s, no public displays, nothing. Just to feel loved and to know that he was at least a little cared for by the other. He could feel the blonde jolt, surprised by the sudden gesture, but he nonetheless felt the comforting feeling of Billy wrapping his arms around him and Steve was at peace. They just sat there, snuggled up and very much happy despite the consistent glares they were both receiving. 

"Hey, can I ask you something....?" Steve glanced up at Billy, immediately nervous but trying to hide it.   
Billy looked down at him, arching one of those perfect brows up. "What's up, Steve?"   
"Well, its more of a statement than anything, but it kind of implies a question so..." He decided to just rip off the Band-Aid, "I love you, Billy Hargrove. So much it hurts. I know you can't say it yet but I just wanted you to know that you don't have to be scared to say it. I love you, and I can't see that changing. Even if me saying it pisses you off." He looked back down, already prepared for the worst. Instead, he was met with silence. Which was worse, in his opinion. It left his head too much time to wander. 

"Harrington, look at me." Billy spoke very quietly, surprisingly soft. Steve obeyed, bringing his eyes up to the other's face. Billy continued. "Look, Steve. You mean a lot to me. You are the one good thing in my shitty life, and without you I'd probably be going nuts. I want to be with you, and so far nothing has convinced me otherwise. You look so damn pretty all the time and you have no right to make me feel so happy. You make me feel like less of a piece of shit and I...Well I love you, Steve. Every damn thing about you from your stupidly perfect hair to your rich guy shoes. You never fail to make me feel loved and secure and I'll be damned if I don't want to keep you as close to me as I can for as long as you'll have me." He smiled. A real, genuine, no cocky bullshit smile. "Fuck Neil, fuck Susan, and fuck all the fake assholes who think that we shouldn't be happy. They can all go fuck themselves."   
Steve opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He just sat there, gaping up at Billy like an idiot. Then passion hit him all at once and he kissed the blonde so hard their teeth banged together and Billy almost fully fell backwards. He didn't, luckily. He stuck his arm out behind himself to catch himself and used the other to take a fistful of Steve's stupid sweater. They were just there on the bleachers, Steve almost fully in the blonde's lap sucking face like his life depended on it. Billy loved him. And everything felt perfect. 

They were finally separated when they had to breathe, both not going very far away from each other and panting quietly. Billy smiled a bit. "Didn't know you had that in you, Stevie." He smiled more and pecked his lips again.   
Steve was blushing a little, reaching up to mess with his partner's blonde curls." I love you." He breathed, closing his eyes and smiling.   
"I...I love you too." Billy gently took his hand. "Let's gather up the little shits and go to your place. That stupid ass sweater is teasing the hell out of me and I'm done waiting to do something about it." He nipped at Steve's earlobe, making him yelp quietly and turn bright red.  
"Okay." Steve nodded, gently setting a hand on Billy's exposed chest and just leaving it there. He tried not to get distracted, but he stared at the other's chest for a couple minutes despite this. 

Eventually the two managed to wrangle together all of the Party members and cram them into Steve's car, Billy forcing Max to swear that she would return Steve's car safely before giving her the keys, and themselves climbed into Billy's far nicer car. Steve buckled his seatbelt out of habit, and even though Billy made fun of him for it he very much appreciated it when he found out how reckless a driver the other was. The blonde really liked to push ninety and speed up in places he definitely shouldn't have, and by the time they got to his house he felt like he left his stomach five miles back. But, that feeling was soon replaced with butterflies and Steve found he wished they hadn't got here so fast. They were at the front door, and Steve looked up at him with a smile teasing at his lips. He didn't need to say anything, he knew Billy knew what he wanted. Steve wanted love, no matter how it came, and the blonde knew how to show Steve just how much he loved him. He would show him all his love all night if he had to. 

They kissed again, sweet and tender. Love flowed between them like water, and everything was perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is actually a preface to another, more angsty one I'd like to write involving these two. So enjoy the fluff while I make myself cry thinking about the other one!


End file.
